“I am looking forward to some exciting music this season with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra,” said SSO conductor and music director Peter Stafford Wilson. “From emerging talent like Miriam Smith to mainstays in the repertoire like ‘Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5′ and ‘Mahler Symphony No. 5,’ (from) the music of outstanding women composers throughout history to the return of the Springfield Symphony Chorale, we have something for every musical taste, even a dose of opera in the hip hop style.”
The season will open Sept. 28 with “Emerging Brilliance: Miriam K. Smith and ‘Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony’ in which teenage cellist Smith’s skills will be utilized on a classic piece.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
“Heritage and Harmony: Celebrating Women Composers” will explore the contributions of women to symphonic music through four composers with guest Ukrainian pianist Anna Shelest on Nov. 9.
A special part of a season is when youth meets experience. “Symphonic Fusion: Springfield Youth Symphony meets The Hip Hopera Singer” on Jan. 25 will present a side-by-side program with guest performer Babatunde Akinboboye who will help blend operatic arias with a hip hop twist.
The popular trend of showing a beloved movie while the soundtrack is performed live by the SSO will continue on March 8 with “Beyond the Screen: Pirates of the Caribbean in Concert.” The immersive experience will be March 8.
More than 100 musicians will gather on the Kuss Auditorium stage to pay tribute to what is considered Gustav Mahler’s signature piece on April 5 with “‘Mahler’s Symphony No. 5′: A Monumental Masterpiece.”
The Springfield Symphony Chorale will make its grand comeback under new director Kevin Wilson in the season finale with “Nationalistic Harmonies: Rutter, Stravinsky, Elgar and Rimsky-Korsakov” on May 17.
“The Orchestra continues to grow in quality and each performance is an event not to be missed,” Wilson said.
The Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra will also return for a new season with concerts “To Be or Not to Bop: The Music of Dizzy and Bird” on Nov. 2 and “Hammer Time: A Swingin’ Retrospective with Jeff Hamilton” on March 22.
SSO season subscriptions and individual concert tickets are on sale. For more information, go to www.springfieldsym.org or call 937-328-3874.
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